MrsCousarATSS - Timed (In-class) Essays

The timed (or, in-class) essay is one of the scariest things in a lot of students' experience. There is hope! With some understanding of the parts of an essay and a bit of a how-to guide, you, too, can ROCK your in-class essay.

Most parts of this page will also help with long-term essays (the project-like ones). Just sayin'--they're not that different.

Essay Structure and Execution
Most essays are a pretty standard, 5-paragraph structure: intro, 3 body paragraphs, conclusion. But there's a bit more under the hood. Click on any coloured words for graphic organizers, mini-lessons, and other helpful hints.

title
introduction paragraph, including
- hook (or literary opener)
- thesis
- forecast (this is covered in the "introduction paragraph" bit)
body paragraphs, including
- topic sentence
- supporting sentences
- concluding sentence
- [the order of your paragraphs]
concluding paragraph, including
- restatement of thesis
- extremely short recap of main points
- food for thought OR call to action
transition words and phrases
quote integration

Also consider:

Outline of the writing process (for an in-class essay)
- Gather information
- Prewriting/planning
- Writing
- Revision
How long should you spend on each part of the process in a timed essay?
How is this being marked?
Who is my audience/what is the purpose?
Physical considerations